Welcome back to 2024!

I hope you had a very happy and holy Christmas with some down time over the break. 

Sacrament Information

As we begin our new year a message from Fr James that registration for the Sacraments will occur a little differently this year. ALL SACRAMENTS (Confirmation in Year 6, Eucharist in Year 5 and Reconciliation in Year 4) will have the same registration period at the beginning of the year. You will receive information about this process and the key dates for each of the Sacraments in a separate document via compass today. 

If you have any questions about the Sacraments, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school or via email sharee.thomas@cg.catholic.edu.au Alternatively you can contact Anne Gowan, the parish Sacramental coordinator via email TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au 

Please "Save The Date" Ash Wednesday Liturgy and Leadership Mass

As the ELC are using the Hall in the upcoming few weeks, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday as a school in the Peace Garden on Wednesday 14th February at 2pm. We welcome all families to come and celebrate the beginning of Lent with us. 

Our Leadership Mass where all Year 6 will receive their badges will occur on Wednesday 21st February at 10am at Holy Family Church Gowrie. All children (except Kinder who will be on their last rest day) will catch buses across to the Parish Church. The SRC students will also be given their badges at this mass. We welcome all Year 6 parents and families as well as those from the SRC (you will receive a notification if your child is their class SRC nomination) to attend this mass.

Class Masses

This year classes will once again be rostered to attend the local Parish Mass on Wednesday morning's at 9:30am. We would love to see families come along to this Parish Mass if they are able. I will attach the roster below for your information as to when your child's class will be going. All Parish Masses are held in the 'little church' across the ring-road and are a wonderful, intimate opportunity for prayer and sharing the Eucharist. 

Gospel Reflection: Mark 1:29-39- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 

 He cured many who suffered from diseases of one kind or another.

This week’s gospel follows directly on from last week’s reading and, as is typical with Mark’s gospel, the events occur on the very same day. The urgency of the gospel is obvious in this week’s reading; Jesus had a very busy 24 hours! Having launched his public ministry in the synagogue earlier that day, Jesus accompanies his new disciples to meet some of their family and have a meal. However, on arriving at the home of Simon and Andrew, they find Simon’s mother-in-law is sick. Unlike the public displays of his healing power that preceded and will follow this episode, Jesus does not say anything but simply takes the woman by the hand and helps her up. Her response of beginning to wait on Jesus and his disciples is a faith response and a recognition of who Jesus is. A theme that runs through this gospel is that the disciples never fully understand who Jesus is. Here, a woman who has just met him recognises him as the Messiah and begins to serve him.

Still on the same day, we see the expansion of Jesus’ healing ministry. On this one day he has cast an unclean spirit out of a possessed man in the synagogue, healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever and then healed the crowds of people who came to the door. The next morning he announces that they will take the ministry to the whole region of Galilee. In a very simple way, the gospel of Mark has described the growth of Jesus’ ministry from very humble isolated examples to a deliberate reaching out to the people of an entire region. Adapted from Greg Sunter

If I can be of ANY assistance during the year, please do not hesitate to contact me at school or via email.

Have a wonderful week!

Sharee Thomas

REC